New bipolar and depression support group starting in Blaine

Those who have been diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder have a new place of support to go to in Blaine.

The depression and bipolar support group is currently meeting the third Thursday of the month from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Blaine United Church of Christ on 4th Street. The group was organized by the church’s pastor, Sandy Wisecarver, who said the goal is to offer a space for patients to find new ideas and new ways to grow with their diagnosis.

“Hopefully, they’ll be able to see they’re not alone on their journey,” Wisecarver said.

Each meeting will include a brief introduction, followed by a discussion about what people are hoping to get out of the experience. After that, participants will submit different topics relevant to their diagnosis they want to share and discuss further with the group.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in four American adults are diagnosed with a mental health disorder in any given year. NIMH also reported bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adults in the U.S. and major depressive disorder affects about 14.8 million.

Anyone who has a diagnosis or is experiencing symptoms is welcome regardless of religion, sexual orientation or other parts of their background, Wisecarver said.

“We don’t want the church to be a barrier to anybody,” she said.

Wisecarver, who also struggles with mental health issues, decided to start the meetings after a positive experience with a similar group she participated in while living in Colorado. She said she found the meetings to be a safe place for patients to share resources, such as books, treatments, doctors and therapists.

There is another depression and bipolar support group that meets in Bellingham, but Wisecarver wanted to provide something closer to home for Blaine residents. The Bellingham group is affiliated with with the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA), a non-profit organization which Wisecarver is also applying to be a part of.

According to their website, the mission of DBSA is to provide hope, help, support, and education to improve the lives of people who have mood disorders. Support groups around the country register with DBSA, which provides affiliates with resources and training. DBSA connects and aids all of these groups but, according to their website, every DBSA chapter acts independently.

Wisecarver said while they are not yet affiliated, she will still be using the DBSA’s guidelines for the meetings in Blaine. All DBSA groups are peer-led, meaning there are no mental health professionals involved.

“We’re not doctors, we’re just patients trying to offer support to each other,” Wisecarver said.

Once they are affiliated, Wisecarver said she will try to increase the frequency of meetings to once a week. She also hopes to start a similar group for friends and family members to discuss and learn more about their loved one’s experience with mental illness. As the group gets started, the meetings are not open to those who haven’t been diagnosed with depression or bipolar disorder or don’t believe they are exhibiting symptoms.

The next Blaine meeting is scheduled for April 18. Changes to the third Thursday schedule should be anticipated once the group is officially affiliated with DBSA. To learn more about DBSA go to dbsalliance.org. Find more local mental health resources with the Whatcom County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness at namiwhatcom.org/resources.